The Keeper
by Soulless Light
Summary: And, just when they thought it was over, the goblet spit another scrap of burnt parchment out. The same look Dumbledore acquired when Harry's name was spit out came back full force. "Hermione Granger!" he called. AU.
1. Triwizard Tournament Surprises

_I don't own Harry Potter_

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"Can we sit here?" a young Harry Potter asked the lone brunette in the compartment. However, before she could reply, his red haired friend pulled him back and shut the compartment door. "What was that, Ron?"

"Are you bloody out of your mind, Harry?" Ron hissed at his best friend.

"No. Why?"

"Why did you ask if we could join her?"

"I asked because her compartment wasn't overly crowded and she's a Gryffindor, too."

"Do you know who that is?"

"Should I?"

"That's lone bookworm Granger. No one talks to her unless they have a social life death wish!"

Hermione, having heard the two boys' exchange, slide the compartment door open, trunk in hand, and faced them with an angry death glare. "It's okay, you take it. Merlin forbid anyone refuses famous Harry Potter and his red haired sidekick," Hermione finished and stomped off too find another scarcely occupied compartment.

"May I sit here?" Hermione asked, sliding the door to a compartment with what appeared to be one third year Ravenclaw student with blonde waist length hair in it.

"Yes, I don't mind at all," the blonde replied, Hermione nodded her thanks and moves to put away her trunk. Once she sits down she notices a copy of _The Quibbler _resting in the third year Ravenclaw's lap.

"May I read it?" Her eyes shift up to the girl's face.

"What?" the girl asked, momentarily surprised.

"May I read it?" Hermione questions, seeing the girl's still surprised expression she elaborates. "Your copy of _The Quibbler_,I mean."

"Oh!" If possible the girl looks even more surprised. However, her expression quickly turned to one of suspicion. "Why?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's a whole lot better than that _Daily Prophet_ trash."

She beamed and handed it to the Gryffindor. "I agree. Oh, by the way, I'm Luna Lovegood. My father is the editor of _The Quibbler_."

Hermione stretched out her hand to shake Luna's. "I'm Hermione Granger." The rest of the ride was spent with the two girls chatting and laughing together and, in the process, declaring themselves the other ones best friend.

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All the students were gathered in the Great Hall, the newly sorted first years huddled together at their house's respective table.

"This year we will be joined by two other schools for The Triwizard Tournament held at Hogwarts," at the Headmasters announcement the Great Hall broke into cheers. "However, do to some new rules and regulations, only those who are seventeen or older will be able to participate." The Great Hall was filled with boos from every house table. "Silence!" Dumbledore bellowed, and the boos from the student population died down. "These rules, of course, were put in place for your safety. Now, welcome Beauxbatons Academy!" The doors to the Great Hall opened and girls in blue appeared, blowing kisses as they passed by on their way to the front. Dumbledore greeted their Headmistress and announced the last of the two schools. "Please welcome Durmstrang!"

"Look, Harry, there is Viktor Krum!" Hermione heard Ron Weasley whisper excitingly to his best friend a few seats down from her's. Once the other schools were seated Dumbledore continued his speech about the Triwizard Tournament and the Goblet of Fire where you were to enter your name if you were of age and wanted to enter.

"Be warned, this tournament is not for the weak hearted. Dismissed!"

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It had been a month since the Goblet had been set up and the Weasley twins failed attempt to trick the age line set up around the Goblet and everyone was gathered in the Great Hall awaiting to see which three would become the Triwizard Champions. "The Beauxbatons Champion is…Fleur Delacour!" She shook his hand and went to wait in the room Dumbledore had pointed her at behind the teachers table. "The Durmstrang Champion is… Viktor Krum!" Once the cheers and hollers calmed down, Dumbledore continued. "The Hogwarts Champion is…Cedric Diggory!" Just when they thought it was over the goblet spit out a fourth name. Dumbledore looked at a cross between angry and shocked. "Harry Potter!"

Harry walked up to Dumbledore and accepted the burnt scrap of parchment, confused, it seemed, himself. Harry disappeared behind the door.

And, just when they thought it was over, the goblet spit another scrap of burnt parchment out. The same look Dumbledore acquired when Harry's name was spit out came back full force. "Hermione Granger!" he called. Just as Harry had done Hermione accepted the piece of parchment and disappeared behind the door.

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The Headmasters and Headmistress joined the five students in the room they were currently residing in, a tense silence between them.

"Well," Dumbledore spoke, "we have no chose but to allow Miss Granger and Mister Potter to participate because of the contract that was bind to them once their names were spit out of the goblet."

Hermione looked absolutely calm at the news while Harry looked panicked beyond belief.

'_The perfect Gryffindor,'_ Cedric thought when he saw Hermione's indifference to the situation her and her fellow Gryffindor fourth year were faced with.

"Your first task is on a month's time. Be prepared. Miss Granger, Mister Potter? I'd like a word. In private."

Once everyone had existed Dumbledore began his speech. "I do not know how both your names ended up in the goblet when you are clearly underage. However, on Harry's part anyway, I can suspect that someone with relations too the Dark Lord is behind this. Although I do not know about you, Miss Granger, is there been anyone who would want to take revenge on you by entering your name in the goblet?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not that I know of, Headmaster."

"Alright. Would you mind hanging back for a second, Miss Granger? Mister Potter, you may go." Harry nodded and rushed out of the room as quickly as possible, closing the door to the room behind him. "Are you sure that no one is intent on getting revenge on you for anything, Miss Granger?"

"Positive."

"Then I must say I am baffled as to how your name ended up in the goblet." Hermione did not reply, so Dumbledore continued on. "Never the less, I need you to look after yourself and Mister Potter, if you will." Hermione nodded, telling him that she would do just that. "Alright, Miss Granger, off to your common room."

Before existing, however, Hermione said, "Headmaster?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Maybe the power of light works in odd ways."

With that the fourth year Gryffindor was gone, a puzzled Headmaster in her wake.

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_This chapter was just a test run._

_Let me know if you want me to continue. _


	2. The Secret of the Golden Egg

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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"Okay, champions, it's time for the Wand Weighing Ceremony," Dumbledore announced. He looked around the small group clustered in the middle of the room and noticed one champion was missing. "Where is Mister Potter?"

"That horrible Skeeter women took him into that broom closet for an interview," Hermione informed the headmaster, pointing to the only broom closet in the room.

"Thank you, Miss Granger." Hermione nodded in an effort to show that she was welcome for the thank you Dumbledore had said to her.

"Ah, there you are, Mister Potter," the champions heard the old man say. "Sorry, Miss Skeeter, but it appears as if I have to cut your interview with Mister Potter short because we need to perform the Wand Weighing Ceremony." He pulled Harry out with a sour looking journalist trailing behind them.

"Now," Dumbledore began, "in order to conduct the Wand Weighing Ceremony I have brought Mister Ollivander to check if your wands are in proper working condition for the three tasks you will take part in during these tournaments. Mister Ollivander, if you will."

"Yes, Albus," Ollivander answered. "Miss Delcour, your wand." Fleur stepped forward and placed her wand in the elder mans hands. "Ah, Rosewood, nine and a half inches, and inflexible," Ollivander commented. "Tell me, Miss Delcour; is there a Veela hair in the core of your wand?"

"Yes," Fleur answered in a thick French accent. "My grandmother was a Veela," she explained.

"Interesting," Ollivander said. "_Orchideous!_" The spell proved to be successful when a bunch of flowers appeared. "Your wand is in perfect working condition." He handed her wand back along with the flowers he had conjured a moment ago.

"Mister Krum, your wand." Just as Fleur had done he stepped forward and handed him his wand. "One of Greggorovitch's wands, correct?" he questioned. Krum nodded and Ollivander continued his examination. "Ten and a quarter inches, made out of Hornbeam, with a Dragon heartstring as its core, and rather rigid," Ollivander commented. He pointed the wand at the broomstick resting against the nearest wall. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" the incantation worked and Ollivander placed the broomstick on the ground again before handing it back to Viktor. "It's in perfect working condition, Mister Krum." The Bulgarian nodded and stepped back.

"Miss Granger, your wand." She stepped forward and gave Ollivander her wand for examination. "Yes, I remember this wand. But, then again, I remember ever wand I ever sold. Let's see here, ten and three fourths of an inch, made of Vine wood, with a Dragon heartstring for a core." He pointed to the door that was locked. "_Alohomora!_" the door unlocked with a soft click. "Your wand is in perfect working condition, Miss Granger." she took back her wand when the elderly wand maker held it out for her and stepped back without a word.

"Mister Diggory, your wand." The Hufflepuff handed over his wand, stepping forward. "Twelve and one quarter of an inch, made from Ash wood, rather springy, and has Unicorn hair at its core from a fine male Unicorn that almost took my eye out when I plucked it," Ollivander chuckled. "_Lumos!_" he said, and light alimented from Cedric's wand. "Your wand is in perfect working condition. _Nox!_" he muttered and handed Cedric his wand.

"Mister Potter, your wand." Harry nervously stepped up and handed his wand over to Ollivander. "Eleven inches, made out of Holly, with a Phoenix feather as its core," Ollivander commented. "_Mobiliarbus!" _the object he pointed at moved. "Your wand is in perfect working condition."

"Thank you, Ollivander," Dumbledore called after him as the man prepared to take his leave.

"You're welcome, Albus," Ollivander said before leaving.

"We'll be leading you to the first task," Dumbledore announced referring to himself and the other headmaster and headmistress.

"Wait!" Rita said. "I still need a picture of the champions for the _Daily Prophet_!"

The five huddled together and tried to smile at the camera as it went off.

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It was the twenty fourth of November and the five champions were huddled together in the tent that the three heads of each school lead them to, awaiting their first challenge.

Viktor and Cedric were pacing the length of the tent; Fleur was talking to her headmistress, shouting nervous glances at the tent flap from time to time; Harry was sitting on a bench, wringing his hands together repeatedly; Hermione, however, was the only one that looked completely calm as she sat on one of the benches reading a book.

"Gather around, champions!" Bagman called a sack in his left hand. The champions did as they were told and formed a circle around him. "Ladies first," he said, holding the velvet sack out to Fleur.

With a shaky hand she reached in, only to extract it when something bit her. This time she cautiously reached in. "You got a Welsh Green Dragon!" Bagman declared as she extracted the dragon with a number two hanging from its neck.

Bagman thrust the bag towards Hermione next and she calmly reached in and grabbed one. She extracted a dragon with glowing red eyes and grey scales and number five hanging from its neck. "You got a Ukrainian Ironbelly!" Bagman announced. "It's slow but an extremely dangerous fighter when provoked."

Viktor was the next person to draw his dragon from the bag with a three around its neck. "You got a Swedish Short-Snout!" Bagman announced, moving onto Cedric.

Cedric reached in and extracted a dragon with a one around its neck, the unlucky number. "You got a Chinese Fireball!"

Harry drew last and came out with a dragon with a four hanging from its neck. "You got a Hungarian Horntail!" Bagman announced. "Mister Diggory, when you hear the horn you may enter the arena to fight your dragon." Cedric paled and nodded. Once bagman had left everyone resumed what they were doing until the horn for the first contestant to come out sounded.

_WAAAAAAH!_

The horn sounded and Cedric walked out, pail and shaky from fear.

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Harry came back in; panting and clutching the golden egg he had retrieved to his chest. Hermione brushed past him on her way out, looking calmer than any previous champion had when they were going out too face their dragon.

Harry and Cedric watched her, pulling back the tent flap in order to see. The dragon let out an angry wail admittedly and breathed fire in Hermione's direction. She quickly ducked behind a rock to avoid the flames and continued evading and jumping behind rocks for some time.

Lifting her wand she pointed it at the egg and shouted, "_Accio _golden egg!"

"Why didn't I think of that?" Cedric muttered under his breath.

"Because you were too paralyzed by fear," Harry muttered back.

"Funny, Potter, I remember you acting similar to the way I was acting before you went out there."

"True," Harry admitted. "I don't get how she isn't afraid at all at the prospect of what could happen to her during this tournament."

"The perfect Gryffindor," Cedric commented.

"Seems like it."

They quickly pulled back as they saw Hermione approaching the tent, her egg under her arm with no visible scratches or burn marks.

"And she didn't even get a scratch on her!" Harry noted, walking back to sit on the bench and await their scores.

Dumbledore and the other headmaster and headmistress entered closely behind Hermione. "We have decided the scores. Mister Potter has come out first with a total of thirty points. Miss Granger has come in second with twenty eight points. Mister Diggory has come in third with twenty six points. Mister Krum has come in fourth place with twenty three points. And Miss Delcour has come in fifth with twenty points. In the next task you will have to use the golden egg you have retrieved from your dragon to figure out what it is before the twenty fourth of February when the second task will be taking place."

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Hermione examined her egg closely as she sat at the table in the deserted corner of the vast Hogwarts Library. She knew better then to open it now after she had tried once and only horrible screeching had come from it. _'What animal screeches? Wait…is there even an animal that screeches? No. So what was that sound? Unless…it was singing! Yes, now I remember about a book I read about Merpeople. What did it say? Something about them not being able to sing above water, and if they did it would turn out to be a high pitched squeal.' _

Hermione leaned back in her chair in order to think better. _'Of course!'_ she thought, happy that she had figured it out on the first day. _'I have to open the egg under water to hear them sing! Hmm…I wonder if I could trick one of the prefects to give me the password to the prefects' bathroom…' _

Hermione stood from her chair and exited the library, her egg placed securely under her arm.

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'_It worked!'_ Hermione cheered in her head as she stripped down to her green one piece bathing suit and entered the giant tub filled to the brim with water and bubbles alike.

She took a huge gulp of air and dunked her head and her egg under the water.

Opening the egg, she listened as a melody of voices soothed her ears.

"_Come seek us where our voices sound,  
We cannot sing above the ground,  
And while you're searching, ponder this;  
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,  
An hour long you'll have to look,  
And recover what we took,  
But past an hour - the prospect's black,  
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._"

After the song ended Hermione pulled her head out of the water, resting her egg at the edge of the tub near her head.

"We cannot sing above the ground. That must mean the next event has to be taking place at the Black Lake since that is the only body of water in Hogwarts," she reasoned with herself. She moved on to the next piece of the puzzle. "We've taken what you sorely miss. I don't think Dumbledore would take our stuff, because we'd notice and he isn't that uncreative. What else could he take from us? People? Now that sounds like Dumbledore. In that case, he'll probably take Luna since she's my only friend here," Hermione mumbled.

"An hour long you'll have to look. And recover what we took. But past an hour-the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back," she recited the last part to herself. "So it's likely that we have an hour to look for and retrieve the person-an hour must be the time limit, then. If we don't find them in an hour then we lose," she finished. "That all makes sense." She sighed and climbed out of the tub, gathering her things and casting a drying charm on herself before putting on the school uniform she had brought with her and stuffing her bathing suit into her school bag.

"Now I have to find a way to breath under water, _great_," she said sarcastically. Exiting the bathroom she headed back to the library for the second time that day.

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Her fingers roamed the spines of the books in the charms section. _'Bubble-Head Charm, Bubble-Head Charm…'_ she chanted in her head. _'There it is!'_ she thought, pulling the relatively small book from its place on the shelf and making her way to her table in the deserted part of the library.

Opening the book she traced her finger down the table of contents until she found the section on how to cast the charm and the wand movements. It only took her two tries to master the supposedly seventh year charm.

She put the book away in its proper place and left the library.

'_At least now I can go to sleep and not worry about homework because I'm already a week ahead in all my classes,'_ Hermione silently cheered in her head.

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_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please Review. _


	3. Yule Ball Announcement

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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"Okay, class," McGonagall began, "in honor of the Triwizard Tournament we will be hosting the Yule Ball on Christmas Eve. You will be learning to dance since I do not want any of you to embarrass Hogwarts or Gryffindor House with your inability to ball room dance properly," McGonagall informed them bluntly.

From the girls side of the room Hermione heard the Weasley mutter something and saw McGonagall turn on him. "Mister Weasley, come, you and I will demonstrate the proper dance technique to the class." Ron reluctantly stood and joined the Transfigurations professor in the middle of the room amongst the chuckles of his classmates at his expense.

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McGonagall had finished her demonstration on the proper dance technique minutes ago, succeeding in embarrassing Weasley so he would never be able to live it down for several years, and proceeded to pair the students with one another. Harry and Hermione had somehow gotten paired together and were currently running through the steps of the dance.

"Have you figured out the puzzle in the egg yet?" Hermione asked Harry abruptly, catching Harry by surprise.

"I, ur, no," Harry stuttered.

"Oh. I'm guessing you're waiting until the last minute to figure it out, aren't you?" Hermione predicted, rasing an eyebrow at the Boy Who Lived.

"No," Harry shot back. "It's just every time I open that blasted egg it starts shrieking something horrid."

"You don't think I know that? I opened the egg, too," Hermione responded.

"Did you figure out the egg?" Harry questioned impatiently.

"Actually, I figured out the egg the first day we got it," Hermione informed.

"We are you telling me that?" the agitated boy spat.

"You asked," she responded dryly. "Look, open the egg underwater. The prefects' bathroom is the perfect place to do that since they have an oversized tub. The password is Pine Fresh and the entrance to the bathroom is behind the statute of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor."

"Why should I trust you? And how do you know the password to the prefects' bathroom?" Harry hissed.

"You can choice weather to trust me or not. And I have my ways," Hermione answered. The bell rang and McGonagall dismissed them. Detaching herself from the other champion's hold she picked up her stuff and left to follow the other Gryffindors to their next class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

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"Today we will be learning about the tree Unforgivable curses," Moody announced. "Can anyone tell me one of the three Unforgivable curses?"

Neville hesitantly held up his hand. "Yes, Mister Longbottom, which one can you indentify for me?"

"The CurciatusCurse," Neville spoke, having trouble getting the words out of his mouth.

"Very good," Moody commented. Next he pulled out a cage with a spider held within it. "The_ Curciatus _Curse inflicts excruciating pain on the victim. To cast this curse effectively the caster must have the desire to cause pain purely for its own sake," he explained. "Now, I will demonstrate." Without wasting time on preamble, he pointed his wand at the trapped spider and exclaimed, _"Curcio!"_

The spider let out an ugly wail of pure agony, but Moody did not falter and release the spell. Instead, Moody brought the spider out of its cage and deposited it on Neville's desk.

Hermione saw Neville squirming uncomfortably as he was focused to watch the curse taking place right in front of him. "Stop," she demanded stiffly, no such emotion in her voice or in her eyes.

"What was that, Miss Granger?" Moody questioned, bringing the spider still under the curse and placing it in front of her.

"I said stop, Professor Moody. Obliviously, it's making Longbottom uncomfortable," Hermione replied.

"And if I don't, Miss Granger? What do you plan to do?" the professor asked.

She wiped her wand out of her robes at a speed so fast that any highly skilled Auror would be jealous of. Moody chuckled. "Surely, Miss Granger, you wouldn't raise your wand to a professor? You would risk getting expelled."

"Obliviously, Professor Moody, I would. At the moment I don't care about the prospect of getting expelled. How about you, Professor Moody? Feel like getting sent to Azkaban for life for the use of an Unforgivable curse? I could report you to Headmaster Dumbledore for this, and I have this whole class to back me up. Do you feel like possibly losing your job and going to prison?" She cocked her eyebrow it him in a challenging manner.

'_If I lose my job then I'll fail the Dark Lord…' _he thought. He released the spider from its pain and scooped it back up in his hand, returning to his desk. "Miss Granger, care telling me the other two Unforgivable curses?" he snarled at her.

She smirked at her triumph and Mad-Eye scowled. "Certainly," she said. "The other two are the _Imperious _Curse and the _Avada Kedavra _Curse."

"Correct," the professor grumbled. "The _Imperious _curse-or _Imperio _Curse for short- causes the victim to perform the unquestioned bidding of the caster," he explained. "_Avada Kedavra_'sa curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it - you could all get your wands out and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed," he explained cockily. The bell rang as a signal that it was time for lunch throughout the castle. "Dismissed," Moody said, and the students scrambled out as fast as they could.

Neville stopped Hermione in the hall. "Thanks for, you know, sticking up for me back there," he stuttered out nervously.

"No problem. No one deserves to witness anything or anyone go through that kind of torture," she said. "Goodbye, Neville." Then she turned down the hallway and around the corner, disappearing from sight.

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"Why did I listen to her?" Harry grumbled as he entered the prefects tub after dinner had ended. He dumped the egg under the water and dunked his head in after it.

Opening it he listened to the song that started to play instead of the horrible screeching that usual came from it.

_"Come seek us where our voices sound,  
We cannot sing above the ground,  
And while you're searching, ponder this;  
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,  
An hour long you'll have to look,  
And recover what we took,  
But past an hour - the prospect's black,  
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."_

"Well, she was right. But I still need help figuring out what the song is supposed to mean." Harry sighed, climbing out of the tub and changing back into his school uniform. "Who should I get to help me? None of my friends are really that smart…maybe I can get Granger to help me?" Harry shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

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Harry had looked everywhere for his fellow brunette Gryffindor champion and had not found her. The library would be the last place he checked and if she wasn't in there he didn't know where else she could possibly be. He located her in the back of the library talking to a third year Ravenclaw girl about something he had never heard of before.

"You can see Thestrals, too?" Luna asked curiously.

"Is that what they're called? I never knew their name, I just knew I could see them," Hermione said, tilting her head to the side. "Come to think of it, why can I see them? Do you know, Luna?"

Luna nodded. "Yes. They can only be seen by people who've seen death."

"Oh," Hermione replied, downcasting her eyes. "If you don't mind me asking, Luna, who did you see die?"

The Ravenclaw didn't even flinch at the question. "My mother, she was quite an extraordinary witch, you know, but she did like to experiment, and one day one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine."

"I'm sorry," Hermione muttered.

"Yes, it was rather horrible. I still feel very sad about it sometimes. But I've got Dad. And, anyway, it's not as though I'll never see Mum again, is it?" Luna questioned rhetorically. "Anyway, if you don't mind me asking, who was it that you watched die?"

"It was also my mother. We were riding on a bus when a man got on and hijacked the bus. He started to shot and my mother shielded me from him, and got shot in my place. There was a cop on the bus and he shot the guy before he could kill anybody else. I was ten. It's not the bad, I still have my dad," she finished.

Next it was Luna who offered the condolences. "I'm sorry." And by the way that Luna said it Hermione knew that Luna was truly sorry and could understand. "I know where the Thestrals live on the grounds; would you like to come visit them with me one day?"

Hermione smiled softly; it was just a twitch of the lips, really, but Luna took it as a smile anyway. "Sure. I'd like that."

Harry took this as the moment to step out of his hiding place behind one of the bookshelves near them. He cleared his throat to grab the two girls' attention. "Excuse me."

Hermione turned in her chair. "Take my advice, Potter?"

"Yes," he admitted reluctantly. "But I don't understand the clue in the egg. Would you mind helping me?"

"Okay, I'll help. Luna, I'll be right back."

The third year nodded. Hermione lead Harry to a table where Luna would not be able to hear them. "Do you remember the song?"

"Well," Harry began, "no, not really."

She smirked. "Then you should be glad I have a photographic memory."

Hermione took a seat at the table and Harry followed her example. "The song has a part that says, 'We cannot sing above the ground'. What do you think it means?"

"That the next challenge is either underground or underwater?" Harry guessed.

"The next challenge is underwater. What is the only body of water at Hogwarts?"

"The Black Lake," Harry said.

"Correct. Now the next part, 'And while you're searching ponder this; we've taken what you sorely miss."

"They're going to take one of our things?"

"No; that would be too obvious. Think, what else could they take from you that you hold dear?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Your friends!" he suddenly shouted out slash whispered since it was a library.

"Precisely," Hermione said, nodding. "Which of your friends would you miss the most?"

"Ron," Harry concluded. "We've been best mates since first year, after all."

"Now that we've figured that out we move onto the next part, 'An hour long you'll have to look. And recover what we took. But past an hour - the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.'"

"An hour is the time limit and if we don't find them in an hour we lose, right?"

"Yes."

"Great. But, how do I breath underwater?"

"That is something you're going to have to figure out by yourself." She stood from the table.

"You're joking, right? You already helped me figure out the other things!"

"Yes, I did. And it's only far if you figure out the last part for yourself. Like Dumbledore said if chosen, you stand alone."

"Now you say that."

She started to walk away, but not without one last helpful hint, "It is to my knowledge that Neville Longbottom happens to be very gifted at Herbology."

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Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room a few minutes before curfew after her and Luna had finished all their homework in the library.

She spotted someone's head peaking out above the couch in the middle of the common room and circled the couch to see who it was. Hermione found Neville asleep on the couch, his body spread out to cover the whole length of the couch.

"Neville?" she asked, shaking him by his shoulder to wake him.

"Hmm," he mumbled, blinking twice to clear the fuzziness from his vision. "Hermione?" he questioned in a sleepy tone, rising so he was sitting straight up on the coach.

"Why did you fall asleep on the coach, Neville?"

"I," he stuttered, "I was waiting for you."

"Me? Why?"

"I…I wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball…," he explained, going red in the face from pure embarrassment. _'She's probably going to reject me,'_ he thought glumly. _'There are probably better guys that are waiting to ask her…'_

"I'll go with you," Hermione said.

"I know you probably don't want to…wait, what?" Neville asked, shocked.

"I said I'll go with you to the Yule Ball."

"Really?" he asked, not sure if he had heard right.

"Yes, really," she answered.

He suddenly jumped up, all trace of sleepiness gone. "Thank you, Hermione!"

She smiled softly, again just a twitch of the lips, and nodded. "Now, we better get to bed."

"Right!" he said. She started to walk up the girls' dormitory stairs. "Good night, Hermione!" he called after her, and started to climb the stairs up to the boys' dormitory with a happy smile lighting up his face.

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_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please Review._


	4. Rejecting Dates and the Perfect Dress

_I don't own Harry Potter._

_I don't own Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls._

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The weather was frigid being that it was close to winter but not snowing yet. Hermione and Luna were sitting on the ground under an old oak tree they had deemed their tree since the start of the year, all bundled up in many lairs, sitting and simply talking about boys. Yes, even the bookworm Gryffindor and the loony Ravenclaw talked about boys from time to time. Today just happened to be a Hogsmeade weekend also because Dumbledore decided that it was only fair to give the students time to get their dress robes for the Yule Ball and Hermione and Luna were waiting out the time that they could began to go to Hogsmeade on the grounds.

"What do you think about Cedric Diggory?" Luna questioned, sprawling out on the ground with her head resting on Hermione's legs.

"He's alright. Isn't he dating Cho Chang?" Hermione asked curiously, her head resting against the trunk of the tree in such a manner that instead of looking in front of her she was looking up at the grey cloudy sky.

"No, they broke up," Luna informed her.

"When did they break up?" she asked, even though she wasn't interested in the subject of Cedric and Cho's breakup in the slightest.

"They broke up yesterday. Apparently Cho accused him of fancying someone else and they got into an explosive argument and broke up. And then Cho tried to get back with Cedric, but he didn't want to and he said they were over for good," Luna explained.

"Wow, that all happened in one day?" Hermione said, whistling slightly.

"Yes. Now Cedric is up for grabs as a date to the Yule Ball, and girls are going crazy trying to get him to ask them," Luna commented, rolling her eyes.

Hermione sighed, "Why must some girls be so desperate to bag a mildly attractive guy?"

Luna shrugged. "I have no idea. And, Hermione, he's only 'mildly attractive' to you, to other girls he is practically a god."

Hermione snorted. "They only consider him practically a god because they only see the outside not the inside."

"How about you?" the Ravenclaw inquired curiously. "What do you think about him?"

"I've never talked to him, so it would be unfair to judge him just based on his outside appearance. But, he is quite handsome," Hermione admitted to her third year friend.

"Well, he happens to be heading this way," Luna told her, looking up at Hermione's chin.

"What?" Hermione's head snapped to face forward, where, sure enough, she saw Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff pretty boy, approaching them. "He probably just needs help solving the puzzle," Hermione reasoned, going back to her cool and composed self.

Luna rolled her eyes at her brunette haired friend. "Sure."

"Either that are he's coming to talk to you," Hermione said.

Luna snorted, "Yeah, right."

Hermione, however, couldn't retort because Cedric had reached them. "Ladies," he greeted, smiling at them in a way that would have many girls swooning and at his feet by now. Luna blushed slightly, but Hermione did not show that she was affected by his charming smile in anyway.

"Diggory," Hermione greeted back dryly.

He smiled at her briefly before looking down at Luna. "Uh, do you mind…?"

She caught on immediately. "No, not at all," she answered, picking herself up off the ground. "In fact, I was just leaving." Luna winked at Hermione discretely and skipped off towards the castle.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" Cedric asked next.

"No, not at all," Hermione replied, scooting over to give the Hufflepuff some room to sit down. Once he had taken a seat Hermione instantly launched in to questioning why he was here, "Why are you here? Let me guess, you wanted help in figuring out the egg?"

Cedric looked taken-a-back. "No. I figured out that egg ages ago."

"Oh," Hermione said, blushing at the way she had jumped to conclusions. "Then why are you here?"

Cedric blushed, casting his gaze away from Hermione. "I…I…" he began, tripping over his words, "…I wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball…" he told her sheepishly, scratching the back of his head and smiling at her after getting the courage to rest his eyes on Hermione again.

"Oh, um," she stuttered, "Neville already asked me if I would go with him, and I said yes."

"Oh," he mumbled, his smile falling.

"For what it's worth, Cedric, I would have said yes if you asked me earlier," she informed him, standing. She bent down and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I hope we can still be friends, though," Hermione told him. And then she was gone, a dazed and blushing Golden Boy in her wake.

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"You said no to _Cedric Diggory_!?" Luna whispered in disbelief at what Hermione was telling her as they walked to Hogsmeade in the back of the crowd of students that would also be going to Hogsmeade in order to purchase dress robes for the Yule Ball.

"Is it really that amazing?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde. "And besides if I did go to the ball with him and we ended up being a couple it would only complicate the Tournament for me and him in the end. Plus, Luna, I'm already going to the Ball with Neville, I can't just drop him for Cedric."

Luna sighed. "I guess you're right," she grumbled. "Did I mention I hate it when you make sense?"

Hermione laughed slightly. "Then you must be furious be now because I always make sense."

"Touché," Luna retorted.

The brunette Triwizard Champion stuck her tongue out at the third year Ravenclaw. The reached Hogsmeade and Hermione began pulling Luna towards Madam Malkin's Dress Robes for All Occasions where most of the girl population of Hogwarts was headed.

"No," Luna said, overpowering Hermione and pulling her in the other direction. "We aren't going to Madam Malkin's."

"What? Why not?" the confused Gryffindor questioned her blonde best friend as she was hauled by the arm in the completely opposite direction of the shop she was intending to go to.

"Because," Luna began, "ever girl is probably planning to go there to get their dress robes, and that means half of those girls or more will end up having the same dress; and I will not allow you to look like every other girl at that Ball," Luna explained.

"Okay, I get that. But, where are we going?"

"We're going to another dress robes store," Luna answered. After that Hermione was quite as she allowed the younger girl to lead her to almost the end of the village bounders. Luna stopped as she reached a small shop named Rose's Dress Robes.

"I've never heard of this shop," Hermione mumbled as she and Luna entered the shop.

"Most people haven't, which means I can practically guarantee you won't end up having the same dress robes as another girl at the Yule Ball," Luna told her.

"Luna, dear!" a young witch, maybe in her twenties with light blonde hair and brown eyes, greeted as she rounded the corner carrying a box carefully in her arms, "I'll be with you in a minute after I place this box down on the counter."

"Who's that, Luna?" Hermione inquired.

"That is my mother's younger sister, my Aunt Rose," Luna explained.

"That explains why she resembles you in a way," Hermione muttered.

The women came back a moment later. "Are you here to get your dress robes for the Yule Ball that I hear Hogwarts is hosting?"

"No, Aunt Rose, I'm here because my friend needs her dress robes for the Yule Ball," she said, pushing Hermione forward.

"Hi, I'm," but she was cut off by Luna's aunt.

"You're Hermione Granger!" Rose exclaimed. "You're the fifth Triwizard Champion. You and Harry Potter are causing quite a stir. I mean, imagine two fourth years participating in what might be the most dangerous completion open to students!"

"Yeah, it's pretty scary, I guess," Hermione said.

"How did you even get your name in the goblet? I thought Dumbledore himself put an age line around the cup so any students under the age of seventeen couldn't enter."

'_You can't tell her,' _a voice in Hermione's head whispered, like she needed to be told that. "I don't know. I didn't put my name in the goblet," Hermione told Rose calmly.

"Oh," Rose said. "You must be terrified!"

Hermione faked being scared for the sake of not reviling her secret. "Yes, I am. But I can't do anything about it because I was bound to a magical contract to see the tournament out through to the end," Hermione explained.

Rose pursed her lips. "It must be bloody terrifying, but I'm glad that there is another girl except Fleur Delcour competing. No offense to her, but she doesn't seem like she would be able to last long."

"Well," Luna cut in, "I think we need to find Hermione her dress robes now, Aunt Rose."

"Yes, you're absolutely right, Luna!" Rose chirped. "Come with me, and Luna and I will help you pick dress robes out that will look stunning on you!"

"Alright," Hermione said, letting Luna and Rose drag her around the store.

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Hermione had tried on twenty dresses and she was down to the last two from the massive pile. She stepped out of the dressing room wearing a hot pink floor length ball gown dress that was meant to resemble a princess dress.

Rose grimaced. "No," she deadpanned.

"That dress washes your complexion out," Luna commented.

Hermione sighed and stepped back into the dressing room. Next she stepped out in the last dress out of the whole pile, a black ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and covered in beaded sequins.

"To sparkly," Luna and her aunt chorused together.

"This is the last dress in the pile," Hermione told them. Suddenly, Rose jumped up and rushed to retrieve the box she had set on the counter before.

"I can't believe I forget about this!" she chided herself, placing the box on the ground gently.

"What is it?" Luna asked her aunt.

"There is a dress in here that my muggle friend sold me, and I think it will end up looking perfect on Hermione. It's designed to look like a 1940 Chiffon evening gown," she explained, opening the box with her wand and extracting the dress out with extra care and laying it in Hermione's arms. "Go try it on!" Rose chirped, shoving Hermione softly into the dressing room.

Hermione came out shortly after and Luna and Rose gasped in admiration. "Does it look that bad?" Hermione asked, fidgeting nervously under their combined gazes.

"No!" Rose furiously denied. "It looks absolutely lovely!"

"Stunning, even!" the Ravenclaw added.

"Really?" she turned to examine herself in the full body mirror. The straps of the dress were elegantly knotted; the neck line of the dress was slightly dipped but didn't reveal too much; the bodice was a rich golden color and lead to a flowing floor length skirt with traces of gold interlacing with the soft pink color that dominated most of the dress and adding to the overall sophisticated and graceful look of the dress. "Wow," Hermione breathed as she took it all in.

"I have the perfect shoes to go with that dress," Rose told her, getting up and go behind the counter and pulling out golden high heels with ribbons that were designed to tie around the ankles. "What size are you?"

"A seven," Hermione said.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed, brining the shoes to Hermione. The Gryffindor slipped the on and started to walk with them up and down the aisle.

"They fit like a dream," she told Rose as she slipped them off. "I'll take the shoes and the dress. How much?" she asked, going back into the dressing room to change.

"Don't you want to buy some jeweler to go with the dress?" Rose questioned.

"No, my mother gave me the perfect necklace to go with it," Hermione said, stepping out of the dressing room with the dress draped over her arms and the heels dangling in her left hand.

"Well, since Luna is your best friend I'll take thirty percent off and then the total cost comes out to be seventy five gallons," Rose told her, going behind the counter and preparing a bag.

"Deal," Hermione agreed, walking up to the counter and fishing around in her small messenger bag for her wallet. She found it and placed the exact amount of money on the counter, returning her wallet to her bag.

After giving a goodbye hug to Rose the girls left the shop and headed to get some Butterbeers at The Three Broomsticks, Hermione proudly displaying her bag from the store.

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It was the night of the Yule Ball and Hermione was peaking nervously around the corner leading to the stairs in order to try and spot Neville. She spotted him and pulled her head back around the corner. "Calm down, Hermione," Luna told her as she centered Hermione's mother's golden key necklace on Hermione's neck. "You look simply astonishing. Now, go out there and show every other girl up," Luna encouraged, pushing her forward slightly.

"Okay," Hermione said, taking a moment to compose herself.

"Good luck," Luna whispered, smiling as she watched Hermione turn around the corner and start to descend the staircase.

"She looks beautiful," Harry heard his date Parvati Patil breath next to him as he watched his crush Cho Chang and her date Ernie Macmillan enter the Yule Ball.

"Yeah," he muttered absentmindedly, noticing a few seconds later that Parvati wasn't staring at Cho but at someone descending the staircase. He shifted his eyes to the staircase in time to see Hermione finish descending the staircase and take Neville's arm.

Neville lead them over to Harry. "Hi, Harry," Hermione greeted him. Since Hermione had helped him with the egg they had managed to start a friendship, Harry often found himself studying and doing homework with Hermione and Luna in the library during the past weeks.

"Wow. Hermione, you look lovely," Harry commented, slack jawed as he took in her full appearance from her tamed curls falling in soft ringlets down her back and down to her golden high heels and soft pink painted toenails.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, smiling slightly.

"Wow, Hermione, you look simply exquisite," Cedric commented as he and his date Hannah Abbot joined their small group. Hermione and Cedric had also started a friendship since Hermione had rejected him but told him that she would like to be friends with him.

"Thank you, Cedric."

McGonagall came out and immediately started to assemble them in a line, Harry and Parvati in the front, Fleur and Roger Davis along with Cedric and Hannah in the middle, and Hermione and Neville in the back of the line. "It is time for the champions and their dates to open the Yule Ball with the tradition dance," she announced to them. The music started and McGonagall quickly motioned for them to start walking as the doors opened.

As they walked all eyes were Hermione and her confidence boosted as they started to dance. Neville surprisingly turning out to be a very good dancer as he lead her around the floor without stepping on her toes and managing to land all the steps at the right times.

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"You think I should ask her to dance," Ron asked Harry, pointing to Hermione who was heading to the drink table to get a drink after finishing another dance with Neville.

"You mean you don't know who that is?"

"No. Who is it?"

Harry snorted. "That's 'lone bookworm Granger'. You know, the one no one talks to unless they have a 'social life death wish'," Harry said, quoting what Ron had told him about her on the train to Hogwarts in the beginning of the year.

"Really?" his best friend asked, disbelief tinting his words.

"Yes, really," Harry confirmed. "And, by the way, mate, you already lost your chance," Harry informed him, smirking a little at Ron's lose.

"What?" Ron looked back at Hermione only to see her getting lead on the dance floor by Cedric as another muggle slow song started and he also witnessed Cedric place his hands on Hermione's waist and Hermione place her hands around Cedric neck, still maintaining a far amount of distance between them as they swayed slowly to the music.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't want to go home right now _

_And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
'Cause sooner or later it's over  
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_I just don't want to miss you tonight_

_I just want you to know who I am  
I just want you to know who I am  
I just want you to know who I am  
I just want you to know who I am_

_And I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am_

_And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming  
Or the moment of truth in your lies  
When everything seems like the movies  
Yeah, you bleed just to know your alive_

_And I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am_

_I don't want the world to see me  
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am_

The song ended and Ron watched as another started, Cedric and Hermione still dancing together; only this time they were dancing a little bit closer together then the first time.

"He gets all the girls," Ron griped, slumping in his chair a little bit more.

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_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please Review._

_Yes, I'll admit that as of recently I have become a Cedric loves Hermione fan as well as a Harry loves Hermione fan. There is just something about them that makes them look cute together to me._

_You can see Hermione's Yule Ball dress on my profile under the heading "Hermione's Yule Ball Dress"._


	5. Saving the Boy Who Lived

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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No one besides Luna knew that Hermione had a practical skill for both Occlumency and Legilimency. At this moment, as she sat eating dinner at the Gryffindor table, she could feel someone trying to penetrate her Occlumency shields that she had 'put up' in theory twenty-four-seven since the start of the Triwizard Tournament. The unidentified person drew back when they realized that they would not be able to infiltrate her mind and Hermione relaxed once again.

She opened her mind and put her Legilimency to the test as she tried to read the thoughts of the students around her.

'_Why is he hanging out with _her_,'_ she heard Ron practically sneer in his mind as he glared at Harry and Hermione from the other end of the table. She moved on. There was no use wasting her power on that imbecile when she had to figure out who had put Harry's name in the goblet.

'_I wonder if Potter has asked Longbottom for help yet. If not, he better soon. I cannot fail the Dark Lord…'_ Hermione heard Professor Moody thinking at the heads table and zeroed in on his thought alone, blocking out the flurry of thoughts from the students and other teachers. _'When the Dark Lord comes back I hope he eliminates that Mudblood Granger. She's nothing but a pain in the arse,'_ Hermione heard Moody grumble in his thoughts. She winced. Hermione saw him take a swig out of the canteen type thing he always carried around with him. He grimaced. '_I hate this stuff. It tastes absolutely revolting.'_ She needed to figure out what Moody kept in the canteen type thing around his neck, she resolved.

"Hermione?" Harry questioned beside her, breaking her connection with Mad-Eye. "Are you alright? You look as stiff as a board," Harry commented.

She relaxed, putting up her Occlumency shields again. "I'm fine, Harry," she told him, waving it off. "Luna, Cedric, Neville and I are going to complete are homework in the library, care to join us?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Sure. You know, Ron's been acting like a prat lately." He shook his head. "I don't know what's up with him."

"I'm sure he's just jealous," she advised him, shrugging like she had no idea why Ron was acting that way.

"He said he got over it," Harry grumbled, pushing his empty plate away from him.

"Does it really matter now? The second task is tomorrow, which means you have bigger things to worry about then Ron acting like an arsehole to you right now," Hermione scolded him sternly.

"Do you guys want to head out?" Cedric asked behind them, Neville and Luna at his side. The whole student population sent them weird glances; apparently they did not approve of the champions talking to each other, much less looking at each other. They were each others' opponents, after all.

Wordlessly, Hermione and Harry got up and followed the others to the library.

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They were studying silently in the library, the occasionally scratching of a quill on parchment or the flip of the page breaking it. But, other than that, there were nothing to distract the study group of one Hufflepuff, one Ravenclaw, and three Gryffindors. A student, probably a prefect from the way the badge on his robes caught the light, approached them.

He pointed at Luna and asked, "You're Luna Lovegood, right?" The blonde simply nodded. "Headmaster Dumbledore would like to see you in his office right away," he informed her, scampering off soon after.

Luna caught Hermione's gaze. "Do you think…?" the Ravenclaw began.

"Yes," Hermione answered her unfinished question. Seeing the look of fear mixed with nervousness on Luna's pail face, Hermione tried to reassure her, "Don't worry, Luna. Go, but do not give Dumbledore any indication that you know what his happening and why you were summoned to his office. The second task is tomorrow, and I promise that I'll come to get you as fast as I can," Hermione told her. Luna nodded at Hermione's words and got up, gathering her things and leaving once she was done with a last wave to her friends.

"You told her she would be the thing you'd miss most?" Cedric asked Hermione incredulously.

She stared at him dryly. "Yes," she answered simply. "Who do you think they took from you?" Hermione questioned the other two champions.

Cedric gave an uncaring shrug. "I'm guessing they'll take Hannah because we're friends and she was my date to the Yule Ball," he told them.

"Ron," Harry answered dryly. "Although he's acting like a prat, he's still my best mate."

Neville coughed and got up to leave the three alone with a tired goodbye to each of them. The trio went back to doing their separate school work in silence.

'_Tell them,'_ a voice in Hermione's head told her. _'Their fates could very well rest in your hands, after all.'_

Hermione looked up from her school work and meekly called out, "Guys?"

"Yes?" they responded in unison, looking back at Hermione. And, for some reason, she couldn't bear to tell them. Her secret could ruin their friendship.

'_It could save them, though…'_ the same voice told her in response to her insecurity.

'_What if I tell them what is going to happen to me in the end, and they know they won't be able to bear the pain so they distance themselves from me?'_ Hermione retorted.

'_Luna was okay with it. If they truly are your friends they'll understand why you have to do it and they'll accept it,' _the voice shoot back.

'_What if they don't accept it? What if Harry doesn't accept it, and he tries to stop me when the time comes?' _she asked.

'_It's you job to protect and die for the Savior. He has no chance of stopping it, you're fate has already been decided.'_

"…'mione," she heard someone calling her through the fuzziness of her brain. "Are you okay?" they asked, and Hermione was able to hear them more clearly now that she had broken out of her daze.

'_I can't tell them now…I'll tell them later, when the time is right,'_ Hermione told herself. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied.

"Okay. What were you going to tell us?" Cedric asked.

"Oh…I was just going to say that we better be heading to bed, it's getting late and the second task is tomorrow. We are going to need our strength," she explained to them. They nodded in agreement and started to pack their stuff up.

"Bye," Harry and Hermione said as they headed one way to their common room and Cedric headed another way to his.

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"What did I miss?" Harry asked Hermione as he came running down the platform they had set up on the Black Lake for the second task towards her.

She crossed her arms over her chest in a disapproving manner, already clad in her green one piece bathing suit. "Dumbledore is going to blow the whistle for us to start in five minutes," she explained to him as he took off his clothes and shoes to reveal his tank top and swimming shorts underneath. She shook her head, the braid going down her back swooshing from side to side. "Did you talk to Neville like I told you to?"

Harry blushed in embarrassment and shame. "No," he stuttered, not meeting her hard gaze.

"Honestly," she sighed. "So you have nothing that will allow you to breathe underwater for an hour?"

"No," he answered, blushing even more.

She shoved something into his hand that felt slimly and was green. "Well, you're lucky I talked to Neville then. Swallow that quickly," she instructed.

"What is it?" he asked uncertainty.

The brunette rolled her chocolate orbs at the Boy Who Lived. "It's a plant called Gillyweed. It should allow you to breathe underwater for an hour. Now, just swallow it already. The task is about to begin." Harry swallowed it, gagging slightly as it slid down his throat. Dumbledore's whistle sounded and the champions started to run towards the water.

"What does it do?" Harry questioned.

"It allows you to grow gills and webbed feet. Like a fish," she told him, casting the Bubble-Head charm on herself as they neared the water.

"_What_!?" he yelled at her, but she had already dove into the murky depths of the Black Lake.

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Hermione came up first, spurting as her Bubble-Head charm expired when she broke the surface, dragging a half asleep Luna along with her. Cheers broke out as the students spotted her.

"And Hermione Granger is the first one back with her prize one minute before the time limit!" Bagman announced as Hermione and Luna climbed the latter to the platform, immediately getting bundled in a warm robe and towel as they arrived on the deck to protect them against the nippy February air.

Soon, another round of cheers broke out when Cedric broke through the surface, holding Hannah Abbot. "Cedric Diggory is second back with prize just a minute over the time limit!" Bagman told the crowd.

Next Krum came to the surface, holding some random Durmstrang boy. But there was no sign of Harry, and he was nearly five minutes over the time limit.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione questioned Cedric, a knot of worry twisting in her stomach.

"Fleur never got to finish, so I reckon Harry is trying to save Ron and Fleur's little sister," Cedric told her, worry also evident in his voice.

Just then, Ron and Fleur's little sister appeared without Harry at their side.

"I'm going to go save him," she told Cedric, hastily removing her robe and running towards the Black Lake.

"What? Wait! Hermione!" the Hufflepuff champion called to try and stop her, but it was already too late because he heard the tiny splash as Hermione dived in a disappeared beyond the surface of the lake.

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She swam rapidly down to the depths of the lake where she knew the Merpeople resided. Once she got there she saw Harry getting dragged down by a swarm of Merpeople, almost unconscious from lack of air. Hermione concentrated and shot a nonverbal Stupefy at the Merpeople; they seemed to melt away from Harry as they froze and sunk to the floor of the lake.

Next she swam to Harry, grabbed him around the waist, cast another nonverbal Bubble-Head Charm on Harry, and swam at top speed towards the surface of the lake where the light was making tiny cracks in between the water of the lake.

A heavy amount of cheers broke out amongst the crowd of awaiting students as Hermione appeared with a nearly unconscious Harry in her grasp. She lifted the Bubble-Head Charm from both of them, and managed to hale both her and Harry on the platform.

The other champions and teachers surrounded the gasping duo as they lay on the floor of the deck, trying to get oxygen into their deprived lungs. After regaining his breath Harry thanked Hermione and explained his story to Dumbledore.

Fleur came over to Harry with her sister in tow. "Thank you for saving my zizter," she told him, grasping his face and kissing him on both cheeks two times to show her gratitude.

"Thank you," her sister said, also kissing Harry two times on the cheeks.

"You're welcome…" Harry trailed off, not knowing the girl's name.

"Gabrielle," she supplied helpfully.

"You're welcome, Gabrielle," Harry said. She giggled and blushed at Harry before leaving with her sister.

The headmasters and headmistress decided the scores and went to tell the champions along with the whole crowd. "We've decided that Miss Granger will be awarded forty-nine points for coming back with her prize first and saving Mister Potter. Mister Diggory will be awarded second place and forty-seven points for his use of the Bubble-Head Charm and retrieving his prize second. Mister Potter will be awarded third place with forty-seven points as well for sheer moral fiber for saving someone he didn't have to.

"Mister Krum will be awarded fourth place and forty points for his excellent use of Transfiguration and retrieving his price third. And Miss Delacour will be awarded fifth place and twenty-five points for her use of the Bubble-Head Charm affectively," Dumbledore announced. "The next task will take place on the twenty-fourth of June," Dumbledore told them.

"You may all go rest. It's been a long day for all of you," he said.

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_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please review._


	6. The Truth Behind the Fable

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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Hermione and Luna were visiting the Thestrals, as Luna had told Hermione they would, after they had finished breakfast and before they had to go to classes.

"Have you told them yet?" Luna asked Hermione, throwing a piece of raw meat to one of the baby Thestrals.

"No," she answered. "What if they can't get over the fact I have to die for Harry in the end? They'll probably distance themselves from me."

"Well, you told me and I didn't leave you," Luna tried to reason.

A Thestral approached them and Hermione removed a piece of raw meat for it from her own pack. The Thestral ate the meat out of Hermione's hand as she placed her other hand on the Thestral's bony head to pet it. "I know that, Luna. They're different then you, though."

"Hermione," Luna said, sighing. "Just because I accepted it, it doesn't mean I won't grieve when the time comes. You're my best friend, Hermione. My first real friend," Luna told her truthfully.

"You're mine to, Luna," Hermione told her softly, truthfully.

"Harry and Cedric are you real friends, Hermione. They deserve to know if the third task for the Triwizard Tournament ends out to be where you die to protect Harry," the blonde Ravenclaw told her lowly. The bell to get to class rang and Luna left with a sad smile to her best friend while Hermione stayed behind for a little while.

"I know," Hermione whispered to Luna's retreating back, the wind carrying her voice off.

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"Now, class," Moody began, unscrewing the top of his canteen type thing around his neck while walking past Hermione's desk. She smelt it. "Practice that spell by yourselves. Dismissed," he told them.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the distinctive smell. _'Polyjuice Potion,'_ Hermione thought. '_If that isn't Alastair Moody, then who is it?' _she questioned herself, walking away from her Defense Against the Dark Arts class and to the Great Hall for lunch.

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It was half way through lunch and Hermione couldn't stop running through the possibilities of who the phony Moody could really be. She mentally pictured the _Daily Prophet _she had read this morning, trying to remember what was in the back section of the newspaper where they kept all the important stuff that no one seemed to ever look through.

Hermione remembered one name being mentioned in the back section that really stood out to her. Barty Crouch Jr., a recent escapee from Azkaban, and currently impersonating Alastair Mad-Eye Moody as Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

'_How ironic,' _Hermione thought, smirking, _'a dark wizard impersonating a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.'_

"Hermione!" the Boy Who Lived called, running up to her. "Cedric said that they called all the Triwizard Champions out to the Quidditch Pitch to see the third task! Come on!" He pulled her to her feet without waiting for a response and dragged her out of the Great Hall.

"I don't enjoy being man-handled, Harry!" Hermione yelled shrilly when she had had enough of being dragged around like a ragdoll.

"Sorry, Hermione," he apologized; he smiled sheepishly and let her go so she could walk beside him on her own.

"It's alright," she said, waving it off as they continued on their way.

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"My Quidditch Pitch!" was the first thing Harry cried when he saw the hedge maze that now dominated the strip of land.

"I know," Cedric sulked as he walked over to where his fellow champions were standing.

"You two are such whiners," Hermione snapped, smacking the both upside the head for their ridiculous behavior.

"Ow!" they whined, rubbing the back of their heads and pouting at the bookworm Gryffindor fourth year Triwizard Champion.

"Hermione," Cedric griped.

"You're mean!" Harry pouted.

"Sorry," she said dryly. They both gave her disapproving looks. "What? I said I'm sorry. What more could you want?"

The boys shared a look. They looked back at her, mischief shining in their eyes.

"What?" Hermione asked.

Cedric and Harry smiled, pointing at their cheeks. "We want a kiss on the cheek!" they chorused together in smug sing song voices.

She sighed, exasperated by her two male friends, "Fine." Hermione raised herself on her tippy toes and placed a kiss on Cedric's cheek and then on Harry's cheek. "Happy?" she questioned the two boys as she lowered herself back on the bottoms of her feet.

"Very," they told her together, grinning at her goofily. Hermione rolled her eyes, but suddenly turned serious.

'_The third task is in three weeks, you have to tell them everything you've been keeping a secret and what you found out about Moody,' _the voice in her head told her.

'_You're right. It's time to finally tell them,' _she responded to the voice.

"Hermione?" asked Harry, breaking Hermione out of her daze.

"What?" Hermione said, shaking her head to clear her mind.

"You spaced out again," Harry informed her.

"Oh." She grabbed both of their wrists and proceeded to drag them away from the Quidditch Pitch and towards the castle. "I need to tell you guys something important," she said after hearing their protests at being dragged around.

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They reached the deserted corner in the back of the library and Hermione finally let them go. "Sit," she ordered, and the boys did so without complaint after hearing her commanding tone of voice. "I need to tell you guys something important."

"You already said that," Cedric pointed out. She glared at him.

"There are some things I haven't been telling you," she told them.

"Like what?" Harry questioned meekly from his chair at the table.

"Like," she began, "my past at Hogwarts, how I got into the Triwizard Tournament, and what I found out about Professor Moody."

"What about Professor Moody?" Harry questioned anxiously.

"I guess I'll start there, then," Hermione muttered. "I don't think Professor Moody is really Professor Moody," she explained. The boys shot her quizzical glances. "I mean, I think Professor Moody is really Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise."

"And what possible made you think that?" Cedric asked the brunette, raising his eyebrow. Hermione silently cursed herself for teaching Cedric how to raise his eyebrow so skillfully.

"When he walked past my desk in Defense Against the Dark Arts, he opened the canteen type thing around his neck and I caught a waif of what I know to be Polyjuice Potion," she explained to them.

"Wait," Harry said. "How do you know what Polyjuice Potion smells like?"

Hermione sighed. "And this is where we get into the part about my past in Hogwarts," she mumbled so only she could hear. "Harry, remember all those notes you kept on getting that would solve a clue and lead you to the next one in first, second, and third year? Remember the Polyjuice Potion you found in the abandoned girls bathroom? Remember the Time-Turner that someone left you on your bedside table in your third year telling you what to do with it in order to save your godfather?"

Harry nodded. "How…how do you know about all of that?"

"Because, Harry, I was the one that left you all the clues, the Polyjuice Potion, and the Time-Turner. I was helping you all along, just not in person."

"Why didn't you help me in person all those years, Hermione?" the Potter boy questioned.

"Why would I?" she shot back. "When I helped you on the train the first time I heard what you and Weasley thought about me. After that I figured I would be best to help in the shadows."

Cedric's eyes widened. "You can do Legilimency?"

"And Occlumency," Hermione informed him. "Both quite well, I may add."

"If you heard what we thought about you in the first place, then why did you even decide to help at all?" Harry asked.

"It is my job to help you," Hermione told him simply.

"Why? And why are you only helping me in person now? And how did you get into the Triwizard Tournment?" Harry inquired, perplexed.

"And know we finally get to the part where I tell you how I got in to the Triwizard Tournament and quite possibly my biggest secret," Hermione said. "I put myself into the competition."

"Wait!" Cedric cried out. "You couldn't have possibly put your name in the goblet! That's impossible! The age line wouldn't have let you!"

Hermione smirked. "I tricked the age line."

"No!" Cedric gasped. "Dumbledore set it up himself! You couldn't have! Fred and George couldn't even trick it!"

"I managed to trick it," Hermione said dryly. "Dumbledore's age line was one that would detect your magical ability and guess your age from there; therefore, it was not a hundred percent accurate. I bet Harry could have gotten past the age line if he tried to."

Cedric looked at Harry suspiciously. "I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire!" Harry denied once he saw Cedric's look.

"Yes, you didn't. Which leads me to believe that Barty Crouch Jr. did so he could either get you killed, or use you in a plan to bring back the Dark Lord," Hermione stated.

"Wait," Harry began, "why didn't you just help from the shadows like you did previously?"

"It was different this time. I sensed something was off, something dreadful, and knew if I wanted to help you this time I would have to do it in person," Hermione said.

"And, what did you mean before when you said it was your job to help Harry?" Cedric asked.

"Now we get to the part about my big secret," Hermione told them. "Have any of you heard of the Keeper of the Light?"

"Oh, I have," Cedric told her. "My mother told me about a tale that involved the Keeper of the Light, but then she admitted that no one knows if the Keeper of the Light is real or just a fable."

"The Keeper is as real as can be, trust me," Hermione said. "The fable your mother told you about the Keeper of the Light, did it say when the Keeper is born?"

"No, the Keeper of the Light was just briefly mentioned in one of the bigger fables she told me."

Hermione sighed. "Of course," Hermione said. "Well, I can't really blame you for not knowing anything about the Keeper of the Light. There are virtually no fables about the Keeper of the Light, anyway." Hermione sat down. "The Keeper of the Light is said to be born when the world is set to fall into chaos," she explained. "It is also said that the Keeper of the Light-or Keeper for short-is born at that time to protect the Savior from the force trying to destroy them and take over the world.

"The Keeper is also born because in the end they are the only one that will have the power to protect or revive the Savior when they are in danger of dying and can't protect themselves or are dead before they managed to defeat their enemy, in which cause the Keeper gives their life to save the Savior's life.

"The Keeper is given the title because they are rumored to have the power of the light inside of them. The light they have inside of them is really just another branch of magic that the Keeper is only able to master, no one else. The say it is the power of the light because when the Keeper uses their magic it is white and has a certain majestic sparkle to it.

"Their magic is also the only magic that can block the Avada Kedavra Curse," she finished, slightly out of breath.

"Wait, Hermione, if there are virtually no fables about the Keeper of the Light, how do you know that much about the Keeper of the Light?" Cedric asked.

She stood from the table and stared at them. "Because I am the Keeper of the Light," she told them.

"No," Cedric denied. "The Keeper of the Light is just a fable."

Hermione sighed. "I knew that someone wouldn't believe me evidently," she murmured to herself. "Alright, Cedric, if you don't believe me then shot a spell at me and watch.

"I…I can't do it," Cedric said.

"Do it!" she barked.

"No!" he replied.

"Trust me, I won't get hurt. Just throw the spell at me, Cedric!" she instructed harshly.

"Fine," he said, also standing from the table and getting his wand from his school robes. _"Confundo!" _he shouted at Hermione.

She waited until the spell got close enough to her and raised her own wand. It appeared that she did a nonverbal incantation and, with a swipe of her wand, a shield of white light appeared, seeming to sparkle. The spell hit it and the disappeared. She lowered he wand and the shield of white light evaporated into nothing. "See? That was the magic that only the Keeper of the Light can use," Hermione said.

Cedric gaped at the Gryffindor. "You really are the Keeper of the Light, aren't you?"

"Finally," Hermione cried. "You believe me."

"Wait," Harry input. "If you really are the Keeper of the Light, then you'll have to die."

"Yes, that is true," Hermione said.

"Who are you going to have to die for? And when?" Cedric asked.

"I don't know when. I suppose when the time comes I'll just be able to feel it. As for who I'm going to have to die for, it's Harry," she told them simply.

"What!" they both shouted.

"I won't let you," Harry said furiously. "I'll save you when the time comes!" he told her, determination inking his words.

"Me too!" the Hufflepuff champion added.

"You don't understand, Harry. It is my destiny to save you and die for you, you cannot change that," Hermione told them, her voice steely.

"I will change it, Hermione! I can change it!" Harry shot back.

"You can't, Harry. You might be able to defeat the Dark Lord, but you will not be able to change my destiny," she replied, her voice rising in volume steadily.

"We will!" Cedric contributed. "We will be able to change it!"

"No!" she finally shouted. "You won't! I have no chose but to except it!"

Harry lowered his voice. "Hermione," he whispered, walking up to her.

"No!" she harshly whispered, backing away from Harry and now Cedric as they closed in on her. "…You can't change it…you can't change it…" she repeated over and over again, voice quivering. Cedric and Harry shared a look as they approached her. They had never seen Hermione this weak, this afraid.

At that moment they made a pact in between each other. They would save Hermione from her fate, no matter what it cost them.

Hermione's back hit the wall, and Harry and Cedric were finally able to reach her and envelope her into a tight embrace.

"Its okay, Hermione," they whispered to her.

They learned that day that even the toughest towers can crumble.

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_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please review. _

_The next chapter is probably going to be the last, and I want to know if I should make a sequel where Hermione and Harry are in their fifth year and Cedric in his seventh. If you want me to do that, please tell me in a review. _


	7. His Return

_I don't own Harry Potter._

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It was the day of the third task, and Harry, Hermione, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor were gathered in a room that had a pathway leading to the maze that now dominated the Quidditch pitch. After Hermione's tearful breakdown in the library Harry and Cedric agreed never to tell a soul what had happened, and the group of three Hogwarts Champions put it aside in order to train for the third task as best as they could.

"Are you guys ready?" Hermione asked Harry and Cedric as they waited for Dumbledore to tell them to come out and start the third task.

"I don't know," Cedric told her, swallowing the spit that had accumulated in his mouth.

"No," Harry answered truthfully, growing pail.

"Well, I didn't want you two to worry about me; but this might be where I die for Harry," Hermione informed them, whispering so the other two champions across the room could not hear them.

"It won't be," Harry assured her, determination shinning in his eyes and his voice.

"Yeah, Harry's right," Cedric spoke, pulling Hermione to his side in a one armed hug. "We won't let you be taken away from us," he promised. Hermione knew that there was no use arguing with them, it would ruin their concentration and possibly cost them the Triwizard Cup.

"Welcome your champions!" they heard Dumbledore yell from outside, and quickly ran down the dark hallway with Cedric leading them onto the field. "Cedric Diggory!" Dumbledore announced as Cedric came out of the tunnel and took his place at the opening of the maze with a yellow flag at the entrance.

"Harry Potter!" Cheers broke out mostly from the Gryffindor side as Harry took his place at either entrance with a red flag.

"Fleur Delacour!" Whistles and cheers broke out from the boys at Hogwarts and her school mates from Beauxbatons Academy. She took her place at the entrance with a silver flag.

"Viktor Krum!" The boys from Durmstrang, along with Quidditch fans and adoring fan girls, broke into woops and whistles. Krum took his place at the golden flag.

"And, lastly, Hermione Granger!" he announced. The girls from Hogwarts broke out into cheers and many young men that had noticed Hermione at the Yule Ball wolf whistled. Cedric and Harry growled. Hermione took her place at the only flag left at the entrance of the maze.

"Oh, find the cup, if you can, but be careful. You might just lose yourself in the process," the Headmaster of Hogwarts reminded the five champions. "Mister Potter, Miss Granger, since you are tied for first place, you will be entering the maze at the same time ahead of the other champions. Mister Diggory, you will enter after Mister Potter and Miss Granger, followed by Mister Krum, then Miss Delacour," Dumbledore explained to them and the enormous crowd of fans. "When the whistle sounds for the first time, Miss Granger and Mister Potter will be allowed to enter the maze. If you wish to be taken out of the challenge at any moment just send up red sparks from your wand, and someone will come and retrieve you."

The whistle sounded and Harry and Cedric shared a look before Harry disappeared into the maze shortly after Hermione herself had entered.

"I do hope Hermione will be alright," Rose, Hermione's special guest she had invited to see her perform the third task and finish the Triwizard Tournament with or without the Triwizard cup, told her niece Luna sitting next to her.

"She'll be fine, Aunt Rose. She's strong enough to fend for herself, plus she has Harry and Cedric in there with her," Luna assured her aunt.

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Harry heard someone scream from his place inside the maze that seemed to be trying to rip him to shreds. When he reached the spot where he heard the scream come from, he was meet with a part of Fleur getting swallowed into the maze. He shot red sparks into the sky for Fleur and moved on to continue on his quest for the Triwizard Cup and Hermione to protect her from her potential death for him.

Not far on his path to the middle of the maze where he decided was the most probable place to put the Triwizard Cup, he encountered a Boggart that took the form of a dementor.

Before he could even get his wand out, there was a cry of _"Expecto Patronum!" _and a silvery white panther was flying past him to attack the dementor trying to attack Harry.

He tuned to see who other then himself could cast a full-corporeal Patronus and saw Hermione. "Hello," she greeted.

"Hermione!" the Boy Who Lived cried, running up his fellow brunette Gryffindor and squeezing her close to him. She was still alive and well.

Once Harry had let go of her and stepped back, Hermione took a moment to regain the breath that was literally squeezed out of her. "Should we go find Cedric?" she asked. Harry nodded, and they continued navigating their way through the vicious maze.

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"_Glacius!" _Cedric shouted at the Blast-Ended Skrewt, freezing it in its path. He removed a drip of sweat running down his slightly flushed face and turned. Viktor was there, wand raised as if ready to attack. His eyes were glassy and unfocused, Cedric noted as he stood frozen stiff out of fear as he recognized the curse coming from the Quidditch star's mouth.

"_Cur-," _he began, but was stopped.

"_Stupefy!" _two familiar voices shouted together. The spell hit Viktor and he was officially down for the count.

"Harry! Hermione!" he yelled, stepping over Viktor's body. "So nice to finally see you two!" he told them jovially.

"Yeah, whatever," Hermione responded, sending up red sparks for Krum. "Let's get going. If my guess is correct, then the Triwizard Cup should be in the middle of the maze." Harry and Cedric nodded. They moved on to the path they thought would most likely lead them to the middle of the maze.

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"Not another Acromantulas," Hermione groaned to her male friends. An Acromantulas was currently blocking their path to the Triwizard Cup.

"Another?" Cedric asked.

"Yes, I had to face one almost immediately upon entering the maze," Hermione explained, pointing her wand at the giant spider now stalking towards the trio. _"Arania Exumai!" _she shouted. The spider stopped and toppled over, seemingly dead. "Let's go. We are almost to the cup." They went on under Hermione's instruction, Cedric and Harry helping Hermione over the spider's body after she had given up protesting that she wasn't a damsel in distress and could do it herself.

"There it is," Harry and Cedric breathed when they were in seeing distance of it. They started to make a run for it, but Hermione pulled them back to stand next to her by the backs of their shirts.

"No," she said sternly. "I need to run my magic over it to check it out before either of you touch it, okay?" Harry and Cedric reluctantly nodded.

The trio reached the cup, and Hermione hovered her left hand over the cup to check for anything out of place with her special Keeper magic. "It's a trap," she concluded. "The cup is a Portkey. Barty Crouch Jr. must have set it up to help bring the Dark Lord back. "

"If that's true, then I'll go wherever it's supposed to take me alone," Harry told his friends.

"No," Hermione rejected. "If you go, I go. It's my job as the Keeper of the Light to protect you, Harry."

"If Hermione goes, I go to," Cedric said, stepping forward.

"I'm not going to be able to stop you guys no matter what I try, am I?" the duo nodded. Harry sighed, "Fine. But if anything goes wrong, I want you guys to go back to the cup right away."

The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor nodded. And together the trio touched the cup, and felt a pulling at their naval.

They landed on the ground inside a graveyard with a statue of a Death Angel standing watch. They got up, brushing off their clothes. "Where are we?" Harry asked thin air.

To their surprise, someone answered, "The Little Hangleton graveyard," Peter Pettigrew told them, emerging from the shadows holding a weakened Lord Voldemort.

Harry recognized him and the graveyard after a moment. "Cedric, Hermione! Get back to the cup, now!" he ordered.

"No," they both refused.

"Kill the spares," Voldemort rasped to Pettigrew.

Peter raised his wand obediently. "Cedric, get behind me!" Hermione yelled, pushing the boy behind her. The Killing Curse whizzed past Harry's ear, shooting itself at Hermione.

She raised her own wand, nonverbally raising her Light Shield-Harry and Cedric felt it needed a name, a lame one at that.

"What?" Voldemort hissed angrily when he saw that Hermione and Cedric weren't dead. "How?" he hissed again. "Call the others!" he ordered Pettigrew.

With a wave of his wand, about ten other Death Eaters appeared and engaged Hermione and Cedric in dueling while Pettigrew dealt with Harry. When Harry was distracted Peter shot a Body Bind Hex at him, leaving Harry defenseless as Cedric and Hermione battled the other Death Eaters.

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By the time Cedric and Hermione were able to defeat the Death Eaters including Peter, Harry and the now strengthened Voldemort were locked into a duel. The core of the brother wands meet, and there was a blinding ray of light before the ghosts of all Voldemort had killed appeared, helping Harry escape from Voldemort.

The spirits distracted Voldemort long enough for Hermione to summon the Triwizard Cup to get them all back into the maze. They landed, all smearing blood from cuts on their body, on the ground back in the maze.

"Come on," Hermione urged the boys, grabbing the deactivated Portkey and settling between Harry and Cedric.

They all made an effort to drag themselves out of the maze with the help of the others.

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Once they emerged from the maze they were crowded by worried teachers and spectators, all bombarding them with questions about what had happened in the maze.

"Hermione!" a worried Rose gasped, pulling the Gryffindor into her hold. Hermione winced at the pressure being put on her bruised rib from rolling away from a Death Eater attack and hurting herself in the process.

"My rib," she managed to say.

Rose immediately let her go after hearing that. "I'm sorry!"

"It's fine." She looked over the crowd, but could not spot Harry anywhere. "Where is Harry?"

"I saw him and Professor Moody heading to his office," Luna supplied.

Hermione cursed under her breath. "I've got to go," she told them.

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She reached Moody's office, the pain from her bruised rib almost too much for the young witch to handle.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ she shouted as she burst throw the door and saw Moody, now Barty Crouch Jr., pointing his wand at a body bided Harry in the chair. The wand flew out of Crouch's hand and rolled a good two feet away. _"Flipendo!"_ she shouted next. The spell was so powerful that it made Barty fly into the opposite wall, cracking it under his weight in the process, and getting knocked unconscious. Next she muttered the counter spell for the Body Binding Hex and let Harry free.

Just then, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape burst through the door. "I see Miss Granger has beaten us in coming to your aid, Mister Potter," Dumbledore commented as he saw Barty Crouch Jr. passed out and slumped against the wall. "You both may go. We'll take care of him," the Headmaster of Hogwarts told the two teens.

As they exited, Dumbledore called out to them, "Miss Granger?"

"Yes, Headmaster?" she asked.

"It would be in your best interest to and see Madam Pomfrey about your rib."

"Yes," Hermione responded before exiting, Harry in tow.

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Hermione, Harry, and Cedric arrived at Kings Cross and were currently saying their goodbyes to each other, Luna already having said hers and left.

Hermione pulled both boys into a hug in the first real act of intimacy from her the whole year. "I'll miss you both. Don't forget to write to me," she told them, pulling away and gathering her trunk and other belongings.

"We won't," Harry and Cedric said together.

"Good. I must go; my dad is waiting for me." As she spoke her eyes shifted to a man close by in a stiff black suit.

"We'll miss you, Hermione," they told her together.

She nodded in agreement. "I will to. But, we'll hopefully be able to see each other again during the summer." She took a look back at the man now tapping his foot impatiently. "I really must go." With one last hug to each of them, Hermione was gone.

Cedric looked over to his beaming parents waiting for him near where he and Harry stood. "I have to go to. Goodbye, Harry." With one last wave the Hufflepuff was gone.

The Durselys soon showed up to pick up Harry.

'_Another year over,'_ was all Harry could think as he sat in the back of the car with his cousin hogging most of the room. _'Another to go.'_

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_Hope you enjoyed._

_Please Review._

_And I've decided to do a sequel to this story. But I want to know if you want just the school year in there are do you want the part where the spend the summer together as well. _

_Tell me in a review._


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